Memoi Africa
Memoi Africa was started in 2020 to address three key challenges that directly impacted its founders: a high unemployment rate of 85% among engineering graduates due to lack of marketable skills, high rate of scams from outside Africa that pretend to understand the technology yet are scammers, and the need to support technical founders in scaling their projects. To meet these goals, Memoi’s vision was to integrate blockchain technology into tertiary institutions like universities’ curriculums and organize developer-focused conferences. By November 2022, this vision materialized with the launch of an edTech (they are launching the name this coming week) and the Code Africa Conference, set to run until 2026. The conference aim was to activate a Technical Founders program, enhance curriculum integration, and partner with governments to create sustainable tech projects. Memoi currently supports over 6,000 developers and founders, offering 4-6 month training programs, hosting conferences, meetups, workshops, and creating job opportunities, with a long-term goal of ensuring sustainable training and employment for developers across Africa.
SpaceYaTech
For a platform that started as a Twitter space in 2022, SpaceYaTech’s community growth to more than 2,364 members is a testament that having a clear vision and commitment truly pays off. The goal at the point of inception was to inspire and empower young people considering a transition into the tech space. Through a series of Twitter (now X) spaces, SpaceYaTech (loosely translated from Swahili to Space of Tech) mentored through storytelling, and critical support the next generation of tech professionals and innovators. Two years later, most of the earlier beneficiaries from the program, now work as senior and mid-level engineers and designers. They also give back to the community that built them by offering mentorships to new members. Currently, the community focuses on capacity building through innovation while encouraging beginners to work alongside senior engineers on in-house tech projects to sharpen their skills. They mainly support beginners and junior engineers from various tech stacks. SpaceYaTech virtually organized developer groups to collaborate on real enterprise projects, building products, selling them and even founding startups.
Web3 Clubs
The Web3Cubs initiative began in January 2022, motivated by the need to contribute to the blockchain ecosystem as builders. The founders, with a background in tech and Web2 development, felt the urge to transition to Web3 but lacked the necessary capacity. This sparked the idea of creating a local developer community across Kenya, starting in Kisumu, Mombasa, and Nairobi. Though primarily focused on developers, the community also supports blockchain enthusiasts and curious minds. They offer free Web3 development cohorts on topics like Rust for NEAR Protocol, Solidity for Ethereum, and Cairo for StarkNet, with more exciting cohorts planned. Web3 Clubs hosts workshops and online meetups to keep members up to date with the latest Web3 insights. Their online community is highly active, frequently discussing technical challenges, especially code debugging. In addition, they run a community lab for weekly bootcamps, project pitches, and feedback sessions, offering free resources like Wi-Fi and refreshments to foster collaboration. Their mission is to empower members not only to succeed professionally but to positively impact their families, communities, and the world through the revolutionary power of Web3.
Kiboko DAO
Kiboko DAO was established in March 2023 with the mission of supporting developers and individuals interested in building and learning Web3 technology to help them scale and make a living from this emerging field. Their key pillars are training, building, and mentorship, focusing on training new developers through workshops, hackathons, and ideathons, while helping them create products and connect with potential grants and support from businesses and protocols. Kiboko DAO also works with the Web2 industry to solve existing problems by integrating Web3 solutions. The community currently comprises 200 senior developers, 500 mid-level developers, and 4,000 junior developers. This large number of junior developers stems from their inclusive onboarding approach, partnering with communities like Ledger Ladies, SpaceYaTech, HerDAO, Web3 Clubs, and Tech Sisters Kenya.
Understanding that Web3 is community-driven, they aim to foster collaboration and inclusivity to change the narrative of centralized models. Their vision is to see more local projects and innovations that solve real-world problems, steering away from merely localizing international ideas. Kiboko DAO aspires to be a global name, activating communities in countries like Uganda, Nigeria, Ghana, and South Africa, while continuing to offer both virtual and physical training. By creating and fostering these communities, they hope to unite diverse ideas and work towards solving problems on a global scale.
Ngeni Labs
Ngeni.io, founded in early 2021, is Kenya and East Africa’s first and largest pure-play Blockchain and Web3 development studio. They boast a team of over 106 trained developers and tech strategists, specializing in building complex cross-platform applications, bots, and dApps for Blockchain, Fintech, Cryptocurrencies, and Market Trading.
The Ngeni.io community actively supports developers and tech innovators through mentorship programs, hackathons, and hands-on projects. With a thriving community of over 10,000 members, their mission is to foster innovation and leadership in the Web3 space, driving impactful solutions across Africa and beyond.
Ready to get into the world of Web3 and contribute to Kenya’s rapidly growing decentralized ecosystem? Join one of these thriving developer communities today! Whether you’re a seasoned developer or just starting, there’s an opportunity for you to learn, collaborate, and build the future of technology. Get involved, attend meetups, participate in hackathons, and take your skills to the next level. The Web3 revolution is here, and Kenya is leading the movement—be part of the movement!